ge065,
One or two of them have done!
The expat cabin crew, who, by and large are now very senior, are completely unrepresentative of the 'new generation'.
They are well educated and are in for as much of a good time as the rest of us. Unfortunately the inconsiderate approach of an ill mannered minority of us is tainting the barrel.
Next time you fly with a Singaporean, Malaysian or Indian SP try to engage her in a little conversation... (not during the meal service!)... find out what makes them tick. Remembering her name would be good start.
Next time you are on a rest period, or are just coming out of the loo, if the meal service is underway just stand by the flight deck door and watch. The cabin crew work their socks off.
Next time you are a pax on a 744, whilst staying out of the way, stand by door 2R and watch how much behind the scenes activity is going on. Then remember that they get HALF the rest we do.
How many of you know that the cabin crew get assessed (by their own version of ERAS) every... yes EVERY... flight. The problem is that the reporting officer is anonymous. There is reverse reporting too. They are encouraged to report against their seniors (at times that may include the cockpit crew). It is hardly conducive to a harmonious working environment.
The established number of cabin crew is being cut all the time in the pursuit of that 'holy grail.' In 1996 we carried 19 cabin crew on the 744, now we carry 17. The service is being constantly upgraded and changed. Occasionally, an ISM will have her own idea of how it should be done; which just might be in complete contravention of the manuals. Then her crew will fear for the write up they are going to get at the end of the flight. The section leader can grade and report at will, safe in the knowledge that it will be unattributable.
You would be astonished at the racism which is endemic within ISD. There is one (very, very large) group who get all the choice trips. Their countrymen are favoured in reports. 'Foreigners' are marked down. They know it happens but can do nothing about it because of the anonymity.
Just as the vast majority of the posts on this forum are submitted by the disgruntled few; so the cabin crew are put off us as a group by those that do not represent us well.
gipilot, I believe you asked the original question in all sincerity and innocence. You may just have opened a real can of worms; and the only people will come out of it badly is the pilots because of a 'pig-headed' lack of understanding and an unwillingness to do their part in fostering some goodwill.
It is up to us. We are the leaders, we are the commanders, we set the example.